SEAL Camp

I love Suzanne Brockmann’s books. But I couldn’t even finish this. The entire thing was so unbelievable. I mean, seriously, it was so awful. I felt like I was being lectured over and over. I get there are sexist people out there, and I understand there are racists. And I understand there’s this big focus right now on #metoo and consent. And I agree with Brockmann that sexism, racism, sexual assault, they are all awful. But the situations and conversations were so contrived, just to try to shove her philosophies down my throat. All that questioning of whether the main guy was being sexist, when he didn’t mean to be, but pretty much all guys are, apparently…it does not make for a fun, sexy story! It was like Ayn Rand meets social justice warrior, except not nearly so well done (and I don’t subscribe to all of Rand’s philosophies). Maybe add in a couple comments in the book to showcase a point, but this was way too much! It was not fun to read. It was annoying. I kept getting pulled from the story because I was like, whaaa??? In what universe does a person have extremely sexist and racist comments made to them, by pretty much all people around her, within a few days time? This felt like someone created a hate crime, not because she hates, but because she hates the hate crime and wants to draw more attention to the problems of hate crimes. Brockmann created a story that was unbelievable and annoying, to showcase her view of the world. My suggestion? #resist this book.

Always love Suzanne's books - especially TDD and Troubleshooters... But this was one of my faves! The characters of Jim and Ashley were great and I couldn't put this one down!!

So I bought it, and it was great. This had a slightly different twist as it begins with a SEAL who has been injured, but doesn’t rapidly recover. Also, he’s just gotten out of physical rehab so it doesn’t bode well. However, he’s everything you like about Brockmann’s heroes, tough, sense of humor, sense of decency, and a little crazy. Probably all good qualities for this kind of serviceman. Ashley is not tough or crazy, but she does have a need to toughen up. She a lawyer for family services. Someone who represents battered women and their families in divorce separation. However her strong protective, defender capabilities somehow elude her in managing her own life. She decides, albeit reluctantly, to take a mock, civilian-style SEAL training to maybe learn to stand up for herself instead of hiding passively from personal conflicts. This was a surprisingly honest book about what women, go through in terms of dealing with a man’s world. Yeah that’s old fashioned, but women still go through it. However, it wasn’t a poor me, I’m so beautiful and put upon, but rather a woman who tries to navigate her life by being polite, which is right, but not always effective. With all that, this story is funny, touching, pretty realistic, and the only complaint I have is that I couldn’t put it down and read it one night. At the end is an excerpt from Ready to Roll. If you haven’t read about John “Seagull” Livingston going through SEAL training, do yourself a favor and read it. It’s a hoot, so funny and touching and he’s now one of my favorite SB characters. And that’s saying something!

Loved Jim and Ashley's story in this book! Really excited that we get to visit the series again and see some familiar characters. I feel like we're getting closer to Thomas and Tasha's story ❤!!!

Fun story!

Once again, Ms. Brockmann has allowed us a glimpse inside the lives of Navy SEALS. The characters in this story are real people with heart and flaws, making it eminently believable. While the book is a stand alone novel, the chance to catch up with old friends makes it pure joy. Ashley and Jim are characters that will touch you and make you love them in spite of their mistakes.

If you’ve never read one of Suzanne Brockmann’s books, you’re in for a treat! Yes, it is Book 12 in the Tall, Dark and Dangerous series but if you are new to the world of SEALs, you will have no trouble diving into Jim and Ashley’s story. While there are characters from the previous novels, their back stories are not integral to the plot. Ashley is a lawyer who specializes in cases of domestic abuse and fights ferociously for others but isn’t good at standing up for herself. She decides to attend SEAL Camp to learn how to be more assertive in her personal life. Navy SEAL Jim “Spaceman” Slade has injured his knees one too many times and takes a position as instructor at the SEAL Camp as he tries to decide if there is life outside the SEAL teams and what direction his future holds. Their story will have you laughing and sniffling and wanting more of Suzanne’s story telling. Lucky for us, there are lots of her books out there and, she promises, more in store.